


Next Time - Double Take

by pleasereadmeok



Category: The Good Wife (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-28
Updated: 2015-03-28
Packaged: 2018-03-20 01:43:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,121
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3631911
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pleasereadmeok/pseuds/pleasereadmeok
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Two parallel stories about Finn and Alicia’s First Date.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Next Time - Double Take

**Author's Note:**

> So Finn has dinner plans because he’s ‘seeing somebody'. I think he would change his plans pretty rapidly now he knows that Alicia is interested. When I wrote this fic’ I started with the usual flirty dialogue but then I felt that there was a more serious story about how momentous a first date would be for them. So the result is two slightly different versions of the same story.

**Take 1**

“So I changed my plans.”  
“You did that for me?”  
“Yes – I did – but for me I think. So where are we having dinner?”  
“Well it’s difficult to go out – because…” of the Peter situation she was going to add.  
“It’s OK – I know that’s the deal.”  
“My place?”  
“Great – what can I bring?”  
“A bottle of red.”  
“Sure – I know what you like.”  
“You do?”  
“I pay attention.” 

Finn arrived with a bottle that was exactly right and a parcel.  
“A ‘Happy Election Winning’ present.”  
Alicia unwrapped a book – Sun Tzu’s ‘The Art of War’. The card said – ‘Give ‘em Hell!’  
“I figure you might need that.” He laughed.  
“I think you could be right! I wish you were still an ASA. It would be good to have at least one ally.”  
“Be careful what you wish for – I would have been a nightmare to manage and would have plotted against you!”  
“No you wouldn’t.”  
“OK - No I wouldn’t.”

Alicia led Finn into the kitchen.  
“You’re actually cooking?”  
“Yes. Don't sound so surprised.”  
“Wow – great.” Finn hovered over the pot. “May I?”  
“Go ahead – tell me if it needs more salt. Do you cook then?”  
“Yeah – I love it. I got one of those posh cookery courses as a 40th present from my friends and since then I’m an expert of course!” He joked.  
“You’ll have to cook for me next time then.”  
“Next time?” Finn smiled at Alicia. “So there’ll be a ‘next time’?”  
“Well – we’ll see – I’ll decide depending on how tonight goes.” She teased.  
_“Tonight?”_ He raised his eyebrows.  
“I meant _this evening._ ” They exchanged a knowing smile.  
“No pressure on me then!” Finn made a face.  
“Soooo – your 40th? How long ago was that?”  
“Last year.”  
“Oh! I didn’t realise that you were so much younger than me.”  
“Are you saying I look old?”  
“No – I..”  
“I’m joking Alicia. How old are you then?”  
“46.”  
Finn stirred the pot – absentmindedly adding bits and pieces from the spice rack.  
“46? Wow that’s…. Well I did always like older women! Sorry – my first reaction should have been – _‘You don’t look it’_! You don’t by the way. You look beautiful.”  
“Thank you. Nice save. So you like older women?”  
“Oh yeah. My first time – you know – _sex_.” He pulled another face.  
“I guessed that’s what you meant!”  
“Anyway – she was like 10 years older than me.”  
“How old were you?”  
“16.”  
“Oh my god – that’s child abuse!!”  
He shook his head and smiled – “Trust me – there was no abuse involved. She taught me A LOT.”  
“Finn are you bragging about what you can do in bed?”  
“Me? No. Maybe.” He smirked. “Well I need to _sell_ myself – I’m being evaluated here!”  
“So what about this ‘other woman’ you are seeing? Can I ask?”  
“You can. We met at work. She’s nice. She likes me – a lot it seems.”  
“So will you be seeing her again?”  
“Oh yeah – I thought I’d date you both and then I can – you know – compare.” He joked. “I’ll just decide later.” He waited for her reaction.  
“OK – I deserved that!”  
“Right – taste.” Finn offered her the spoon and she tasted.  
“Oh that’s good. What did you add?”  
“I cannot reveal my secrets. I’ll tell you next time.”  
“If there is a next time.” Alicia corrected.

They sat down to eat. Places were set on opposite sides of the large, polished circular table. “You’re too far away.” He moved his place close to hers.  
“So as this is our first ‘date’ maybe I should ask you some ‘date’ questions?”  
Alicia sat back. “OK – do your worst. Show me your dating techniques.”  
“So - Alicia – what is your favourite movie?” He asked formally.  
“Oh that’s easy, ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s”  
“Nice. You gotta love a bit of Audrey.”  
“You?”  
“Die Hard.”  
“NO! Really?”  
“No!…. Not really. I like those angsty European films – anything with subtitles and I lap it up.”  
“Wow. Maybe we could watch – um – _read_ \- some of those together – I mean – if there’s a next time.” Alicia sounded dubious.  
“It’s OK if we don’t like the same things – how boring would that be? We just need to be ‘open’. Right, well that was a less than promising start. What next? Oh yeah – so Alicia – what is your favourite music?”  
“Mmm – that’s hard – probably Britney Spears.”  
Finn grimaced. “That’s … that’s terrible! I’m definitely not open to that. You’re on your own there.”  
“Good thing it’s not true then. I dunno – it depends on my mood – sometimes it’s country, sometimes rock, sometimes classical…I bet you are a jazz fan.”  
“Jeez no. You couldn’t be more wrong. Instant migraine. Too unstructured. I could go for a bit of classical if I’m in the mood. Otherwise something rocky to get me up in the mornings.”  
“Maybe we could go to a classical concert sometime? Obviously…”  
“If there’s a next time!” They said in unison.

When they finished eating Finn smiled a naughty smile. “This is definitely a ‘date’ – right?”  
“Yes.”  
“So shall we just go and make out on the sofa?”  
Alicia giggled. “Let’s.”

On the sofa things were not quite so easy. Finn’s usual flirty confidence disappeared. “God I’m nervous.” He admitted.  
“Me too.”  
“Yes but you aren’t the one being evaluated!”  
They needn’t have worried. In the end their first kiss was easy. The sort of kiss that you remember long after it is over. A long passionate, lingering kiss that gets your whole body involved.  
“Oh you’re good at that.” Alicia teased.  
“I spent hours kissing the back of my hand when I was a teenager to practise.”  
“You did that?”  
“No.” He kissed her again, “Maybe”, and again, “OK Yes.”  
“Me too – I think all teenagers do that. Hey we’ve got to 1st Base!”  
“Do you expect a medal or something?”  
“Funny. Actually do you remember the ‘bases’? I forget what 2nd base is.”  
“Well you are 46 – the memory starts to ….”  
Alicia poked Finn sharply in the ribs.  
“I think everyone had their own different version.”  
“True. In my version 2nd base is ‘blow job’ obviously.”  
Alicia shrieked with laughter. “Nice try!”  
“Well it made you laugh – sort of the point. I just love hearing you laugh.”  
“I remember now - 2nd base – touching breasts.”  
“How does that go again? Like this?” Finn clamped an awkward hand on Alicia’s left breast as a joke. They both burst out laughing. “Hmm. That’s not quite right is it?” They were helpless with laughter.  
“Oh god – I can’t – you do this to me every time. My sides are hurting now!” Alicia spluttered “This is so much fun. I knew it would be.”  
“Ahh – so you’ve imagined this happening then?”  
“Of course I have.” Alicia said smiling up at him.  
Finn stroked her cheek and his fingers brushed against her lips. “Then maybe we should just go straight for a ‘home run’ and go to bed? Then we can get the evaluation over with – give each other marks out of 10 and decide if there’ll be a next time?”  
“Good plan.”  
Finn picked Alicia up and threw her over his shoulder and carried her off to bed. 

What happened after that would make no difference - they both already knew that there would be always be a next time. 

 

**Take 2**

“So I changed my plans.”  
“You did that for me?”  
“Yes – of course I did – you knew I would.”  
“I hoped you would.”  
“So where are we having dinner?”  
“Well it’s difficult to go out – because…” of the Peter situation she was going to add.  
Finn understood. “It’s OK – I know that’s the deal.”  
“My place?”  
“Great – what can I bring?”  
“A bottle of red.”  
“Sure – I know what you like.”  
“You do?”  
“I pay attention.” 

Finn arrived with a bottle that was exactly right and a parcel. Alicia unwrapped a book – Sun Tzu’s ‘The Art of War’. The card said – ‘Don’t worry – it will all be fine. All my love. Finn XX’  
“I figured you might need this in the new job.”  
Alicia didn’t have to admit that the thought of the SA role filled her with dread. Finn had already guessed.  
“You knew that I’d be scared. It feels like I’m starting at a new school. I thought the campaign was the hard part – but now I’ve got to do the job. I wish you were still an ASA. It would be good to have at least one ally.”  
“I’ll be with you in spirit. You can always call on me – you know that.”  
“I do.” She said as she led him into the kitchen. “It would be really helpful to talk about the SA’s office anyway – just so I know what to expect.”  
“Really? Tonight? Don’t you just want to celebrate?” He seemed disappointed but added. “Of course. Whatever you need.” 

“You’re cooking – that’s great.” Finn hovered over the pot. “May I?”  
“Go ahead – tell me if it needs more salt. Do you cook then?”  
“Yeah – I love it. I got one of those posh cookery courses as a 40th present from my friends and since then I’m an expert of course!” He joked.  
“You’ll have to cook for me next time then.”  
“Next time?” Finn smiled at Alicia. “So there’ll be a ‘next time’?”  
“I hope so.” It was an admission that she was making to herself for the first time. 

After that Finn could not help smiling as he stirred the pot – absentmindedly adding bits and pieces from the spice rack. Alicia was thinking how comfortable he looked and that he ‘fitted’ here in her kitchen. It was like he had always been there and that they always cooked together like this. 

There was, however, a question that had to be asked that might change things.  
“So what about the woman you are seeing? Do you mind me asking?”  
“No it’s fine. We met at work. She’s nice. She likes me.”  
“How do you feel about her?”  
“How do I feel about her?” He repeated like he was trying to buy enough time to work it out. He grimaced slightly. “I don’t know. It’s just strange starting something new. It’s awkward compared to …..this.”  
Alicia was pleased to hear his answer but still persisted. “So will you be seeing her again?”  
Finn didn’t answer. “Here – taste.” He offered her the spoon and she tasted.  
“Oh that’s good. What did you add?”  
“Actually I have no idea – I wasn’t really concentrating on the cooking.”

They sat down to eat. Places were set on opposite sides of the large, polished circular table. “You’re too far away.” He moved his place close to hers.  
“I’m so glad you changed your plans.”  
“You know I had to.”  
Alicia gazed into his earnest eyes and she knew why. 

They chatted easily as they ate. Finn was giving Alicia a run down on the tricky characters in the SA’s office and advising her on how to deal with them. At some point in their conversation, Alicia did not know when, he started eating with his left hand so that he could hold hers as they ate. It was an instinctive thing for him to do, to reassure her when he knew she was concerned about her new role.  
“Come on – don’t think about it now. You’ve got months before you start. Let’s just sit on the sofa, enjoy our wine and talk about something else. Please can we talk about ‘us’?”

On the sofa things were not so easy. They sat in silence for a while. Finn still held Alicia’s hand but that was their only point of contact. Neither of them knew what to say. Finn broke the ice and said simply, “Maybe we’ve done enough talking now.” His hand moved from hers and started stroking her face. “You’re beautiful.”  
“So are you.”  
Finn’s hand trembled so slightly Alicia might have missed it if he hadn’t said - “I’m so nervous.”  
“Me too. This really matters doesn’t it?”  
“Yes it really does.” 

In the end their first kiss was easy. The sort of kiss that you remember long after it is over. But this was not the desperate lustful kiss Alicia had anticipated. This was different; lips feeling their way; soft and tender. Everything just flowed and felt right. They lay cuddling on the sofa for a long time, sharing slow, lingering kisses. Whispering softly to each other. “I love your eyes.” “Your skin is so soft”. “I can’t believe this is happening.” There was no ripping at each other’s clothes, no frantic scramble to the bed, there was no rush. 

There would be time enough for all of that. This was just the beginning. They both already knew that there would be always be a next time.


End file.
